Next month will see the running of the first-ever Gaza Marathon (barely a month after the first Jerusalem Marathon). It is explicitly being cast as a U.N. Relief and Works Agency fundraiser, and nearly as explicitly as a political statement. “Kids in Gaza just want to be like kids anywhere else,” said a UNWRA spokesperson. “They don’t want to live in this terrible and locked-up environment.”

So have that out in the comments if you want. What struck me, though, is the course the marathon will take: It will begin at Gaza’s northernmost point and then go down the seashore. Because here’s the thing: Gaza, north to south, is almost exactly the length of a marathon course (26.2 miles). Those of us who do not spend substantial time in the region may lack the requisite sense of just how physically small it is. So, for future reference (all information via Wikipedia):

Next month will see the running of the first-ever Gaza Marathon (barely a month after the first Jerusalem Marathon). It is explicitly being cast as a U.N. Relief and Works Agency fundraiser, and nearly as explicitly as a political statement. “Kids in Gaza just want to be like kids anywhere else,” said a UNWRA spokesperson. “They don’t want to live in this terrible and locked-up environment.”

So have that out in the comments if you want. What struck me, though, is the course the marathon will take: It will begin at Gaza’s northernmost point and then go down the seashore. Because here’s the thing: Gaza, north to south, is almost exactly the length of a marathon course (26.2 miles). Those of us who do not spend substantial time in the region may lack the requisite sense of just how physically small it is. So, for future reference (all information via Wikipedia):